Transversely adjustable tongue and groove interfitting brush holder clamp



July 11, 1950 A. w. FRY 2,514,571

TRANSVERSELY ADJUSTABLE TONGUE AND GROOVE INTERF'ITTING BRUSH HOLDER CLAMP Filed Oct. 4, 1946 ANNA W.|" R'.Y

15 16 my, Y f W ATT NE) LLllit Patented July 11, 1950 TRANSVERSELY ADJUSTABLE TONGUE AND GROOVE INTERFITTING BRUSH HOLDER CLAMP Anna W. Fry, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Itsa Manufacturing Co., a corporation of Missouri Application October 4, 1946, Serial No. 701,179

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to a brush holder, but is directed primarily to a means for attachment to a scrubbing brush and whereby the latter may be manipulated without the necessity of getting down on ones knees in so doing.

One of the objects of this invention is to so construct an attachment for a scrubbing brush that it will be adjustable to accommodate the wide range of sizes and shapes of those brushes normally current in use, and so that the same attachment will be serviceable over many years and may be used with successive brushes in turn throughout that period.

Another object of the invention is to so construct a device of the kind described, to receive the usual elongated cylindrical handle, and wherein said handle is pivotally attached to the brush so that the handle adjusts itself to accommodate the many different angles with respect to the brush and the surfaces being scrubbed.

A further object of my invention is to so construct said attachment so that it will be rigid and be able to withstand the rough use that such a device might receive in service, and without danger of bending and otherwise distorting the device out of shape or interfering with ready operation of the same.

An added object of my invention is to so construct said brush holder that the mating parts of the same will have tongue and groove means interlocking with one another to thereby prevent undesired displacement of one of said mating members relatively of the other during use.

A still further object of the invention is to so construct such a brush holder that its parts will remain in their desired relationship and position, even though the brush itself has been warped and has become concave on its upper or top face, the attachment extending a greater distance downwardly adjacent its innermost terminal edge than at those portions toward the outermost edges of the same.

The invention has among its other objects, to produce a device of the kind described, that .wlll be relatively simple in construction and operation, have a minimum number of parts, and which will be otherwise satisfactory and eflicient for use wherever deemed applicable.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, as will be apparent from the disclosures herein given. v

' To-this end, my invention consists in the novel construction, form, arrangement, and combination of parts herein shown and described, and the uses mentioned, as will be more clearly pointed. out in the following specifications.

In the drawings, wherein like reference char acters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device as applied to a scrubbing brush,

Figure 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view through the same, with the brush shown in elevation; and. t

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the pair of mating members in approximately their operative position, with the handle and clamping means, and the brush omitted for the sake of clearness.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, there is indicated a scrubbing brush that may be of usual or special construction, andin general the same consists of the back element I, generally of wood or the like, to the under side of which groups of tufts or bristles 2 are inserted and. held in any well-known man-' ner.

These brushes have a tendency to warp after they have become wet and have dried, the backs of such brushes becoming set and distorted so as to assume the concave shape or contour indicated by the full lines in the drawings, the dotted lines indicating the true horizontal plane at right angles to the true vertical side edges of such .a brush back, the top surface of the back being indicated at 3.

Although not all brushes are provided with finger grooves 4 extending along the sides of the back of the brush, such grooves are indicated in the embodiment of brush shown, inasmuch as the grooved brushes are in the predominant majority in use. 1

In order to use such a brush without stooping or kneeling, I have devised an attachment whereby the brush may be manipulated with a long handle which is self-adjustable to the different angles necessary with respect to the brush and the floor or other surfaces being cleaned.

A pair of clamping members 5 and 6 are provided to grip the back element l of the brush, being adjustably held together by means to be hereinafter described, said means also providing a pivotal axis for the handle as will be seen.

Each clamping member is made rigid, as by casting or the like, as it has been found that sheet metal or the like is too flexible to stand up under the strain normally incident to useoi such a device, and will cause distortion of the 3 clamping means and binding of the handle as a result thereof. To obviate such an objectionable defect, the members 5 and 6 are made rigid, as previously mentioned, and each member is formed with a pair of angularly disposed leg elements, one of said legs 1 extending downwardly to overlie the side of the back of the brush, and the other leg element 8 being approximately planar and extending transversely across the top of the brushback somewhat as shown.

The device as shown, is mounted on about the narrowest of brushes normally found ori s'a'le, and for wider brushes, the members 5 and 6 will be spaced further apart, as will be readily understood.

The leg I may be provided with an inwardly directed rib or projection 9 to extend along said leg at approximately the depth required for entry into the finger groove 4. V

A flange l0 extends upwardly and along the leg 80f each clamp member, being spaced intermediate the terminal edge H of said leg and its outer edge, said flanges Ill-=16 being apertured at Hto receive apin or fastening-bolt l3 therethrough-and whereby the pair of clamp members are adjustably mounted on the brush back. The boltmay beof squarecross-section adjacent its head, with the aperture l2, of one' flange correspondingly squared, to prevent rotation-of the bolt relatively ofv the said members, A wing nut IE or the like may be threaded onto the shank of said belt for manual adjustment in the well known manner.

The placing of the flange 10 spaced from the inner or terminal edge ll of the member from i which ittexte'nds is not mere design and is for the-purpose of providing strength and reinforcement-to resist/bending of said flange due to pull on the latter by the adjusting bolt. Obviously,

such adjusting pull tends tobend the flange i about its lower edge, and by providing the leg material bearing'on' the brush back b'etweensaid flange and said inner or terminal edge of the leg, such pressure will be absorbed by such. leg portion.

In order to maintainthe pinsin its normal opierative position; without danger of bending it out: ofi' true; or of shearing it, the pair of members '5 and it are provided with cooperating tongue: and grooveelements- H's-46, so' that any longitudinal displac'ement'of one of said niemhers: relativet'c the other will be prevented.

Scrubbing brushes tend to warp, in serv-iceysuch warping. being indicated: in the deviation from the d'ottedlines representing a flat plane across the top surface of." the brush. back, and recog nizing this tendency, and that the leg 8' of the clamp member should: be made to correspond to such contour, I have made the under 'face'ofsaid leg inclined or tapered, with the inner edge portion'. extending downwardly a greater distance than at" places outwardly of said terminal edge (toward the outer edge of said leg). Thus, said clamp members will be maintained good and tight"- against the top surface of the brush back,

even thoughthe latter has become warped. Further, such construction prevents rocking about the corners of the brush, and also prevents squeezing: or wedging of the" operating handle between the pair of flanges I0-l 0, and which might interfere'with easy operation of the device;

Inasmuch as most handles are cylindrical throughout their length, as indicated at IT, this shape is taken intoconsideration inproviding any attachment therefor, and to this end, a

sleeve or ferrule N3, of sufiicient rigidity to withstand compression between the pair of aligned flanges I0l0 is bored to receive the securing bolt l3, the adjacent end of the handle I! being shouldered to be received within said sleeve and being correspondingly bored in registry with the bores through the flanges and through the sleeve.

The handle thus mounted, carries the brush and may assume any angle relatively thereto as may occur during the scrubbing of the various surfaces that ma be encountered in service. The device is very durable, and its strength and rigidity will enable it 'to render long years of service without becoming bent and distorted out of snaps,

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, arrangement, construction and compination of parts herein shown and described, or the uses mentionedexce-pt as limited by the art to which this invention appertains, and the claims hereunto appended.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis I 1. In anattachment for a brush, a pair 6f clamp members to be mounted on the back of said brush, each rnember comprising a pair 6f angularly disposed legs, the first of these legs adapted to extend downwardly along the side or said mounted brush back and the secend ieg extending transversely to overlie the top of mountedbru-shbackgthe under face only of said second leg extending dewnward l'y' farthes't'along its inner terminal edge, and an upright flange extending from and along said second leg and spaced from said terminal edge, interenga'geable tongue and groove means formed atthe opposed terminal edges of said second legs of the pair 01"- members, and means for adjiistably interconnectingsaid flanges together to clamp the members togetheronto the brush an'd for receiving a manipulating handle for the briish'.

2. In an attachment for a brush, a pair of clamp members to be mounted on a' brush back to receive ahandle for actuating the brush, each of said members comprising asubstarit'i'ally vertical: leg portion adapted to extend ddwnwamiy oi the mounted brush and a substantially horizontal plananportion to extend transversely to said first legtooverlie the saidb-ack, ari upr'ight 3 flange extending along and positioned intermediate the ends oieachof said horizontal legs so that each of the latter extends in opposite directions from the flange thereon, means for adjusta-bly interconnecting said flanges together to clampsaid'members tog-ether onto-the brush for receiving the manipulating handle, and mutually interengageable tongue and groove means formed on said planar leg portions and adjustably movable while: so interengaged, to

V5 limit longitudinal displacement between said back of the mounted brush, an: upright'flange on each member extending: from and along said ANNA W. FRY.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 528,267 Wool Oct. 30, 1894 1,871,146 Bosler Aug. 9, 1932 2,236,093 Friend Mar. 25, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 101,358 Switzerland Sept. 17, 1923 

